How to say “polite” in Chinese
polite; stand on ceremony
“Polite” in Chinese is 客气, kè qi: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
客气 is read kè qi: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
On top, 宀 “roof”: a guest is someone under your roof.
In 不客气 it is read with the neutral tone: qi.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “客气”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 客气. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 请随意别客气qǐngsuíyì,biékèqiMake yourselves at home, don't be shy.
More words from the lesson “Saying hello and thank you”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “polite” in Chinese?
“Polite” in Chinese is 客气, pinyin kèqi.
What does 客气 mean?
客气 (kèqi) means “polite; stand on ceremony”.
How do you write 客气?
客气 is 2 characters: 客 (kè) — guest; 气 (qì) — air, spirit. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 客气?
客气 is read kèqi. Tones: kè — fourth tone, qi — neutral tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“polite” in the lesson “Saying hello and thank you”
This word is from the topic “Politeness and conversation” of HSK 4. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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